Oregon quarterback Dante Moore shook college football when he opted to remain in Eugene for an extra season, foregoing the NFL Draft despite being the projected No. 1 pick by several draft experts. Moore will return to Oregon for his second season under center; however, one insider has raised concerns over his ability to help the Ducks win it all.
What Did One Analyst Say to Sound the Alarm on Oregon QB Dante Moore’s Weakness?
Moore led the Ducks to a 13-2 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff, where they were blown out by the eventual champions, the Indiana Hoosiers.
During Thursday’s segment of the “Bunch Formation” podcast, analyst David Ubben raised questions about Moore’s reading of the game and the small margin of error that this aspect of his game gives Oregon.
“I like Dante Moore, I don’t love him,” Ubben said. “His proudest moments were against a Penn State team that were ultimately pretty underwhelming. He does enough that you can see why the NFL loves this kid. The tools are obviously there. Dante Moore is good, but he put a lot of bad throws on tape.
“I don’t know how well he reads the secondary. I think he’s a guy that can lose you some big games and come out flat. We saw him make the big mistake in the Indiana game, that sets the tone for the game.”
Moore earned a PFSN College QB Impact score of 85.9 after tallying 3,565 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while adding 156 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.
Moore Scores Lofty Spot in CFB QB Ranking
During last week’s segment of the “Paul Finebaum Show,” On3 analyst J. D Pickell broke down the reasons why Moore was the best quarterback in college football ahead of next season.
“I feel great about the system he’s playing in with Dan Lanning making an internal promotion there for the offensive coordinator,” Pickell said. “I feel great about the weapons. I feel great about his progress in a one-year sample size out there in Eugene as a starter. He’s telling you, ‘Hey, I think I can get better.’
“Well, if he’s getting better, he’s getting better from the guy who threw 30 touchdowns last year, that only lost one game as a starter in the regular season and the guy that was projected by NFL folks to be a top-two overall pick. So, if he’s getting better, Paul, I think he’s a pretty safe bet for the No. 1 quarterback in 2026.”
Moore will be part of one of the most stacked quarterback classes in recent years next season, including Texas Longhorns’ Arch Manning, Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s CJ Carr and Ohio State Buckeyes’ Julian Sayin.
